WhatsApp Business catalogue is free and shows products with prices, but it has limits. A proper online shop adds discovery, SEO, automatic payments, and order tracking. Here's how to choose.
What WhatsApp Catalogue gives you
- Free to set up — just download WhatsApp Business and add products.
- Shows prices and photos to WhatsApp contacts.
- Customers can browse and ask to buy via chat.
Where it falls short
- Only people with your number can see it — no discovery from strangers.
- No Google visibility — people searching 'ankara dresses Nairobi' won't find you.
- No automatic payments — customers still pay manually and share screenshots.
- No order tracking — chats get messy with 'is this still available?' and payment follow-ups.
What an online shop adds
- Public discovery — Shops Near Me, county pages, Google can find you.
- SEO — product pages rank for searches like 'Ankara dresses Nairobi'.
- Automatic M-PESA checkout — customers get STK push, orders confirm instantly.
- Order history — track every customer, repeat sales, and lifetime value.
- Shareable links — one link works everywhere: WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok.
The winning combo
Use WhatsApp catalogue for your existing contacts and quick updates. Use your online shop for discovery, SEO, and structured checkout. Link to your shop from your WhatsApp bio and catalogue. They complement each other — one doesn't replace the other.
